The Ministry of Works has proposed that the Six geopolitical zones of the country would have a cumulative of N120m worth of Solar Street light deployed to their respective highway as part of the renewed hope agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
The distribution of solar street lights to these highways began in the last appropriation Act with Southwest enjoying 18% of the total funds; North Easts and North West grabbed 17% of the total funds and leaving South South, south east and North Central with 16% each of N1,595,500,000 appropriation for lights.
Tagged an Economic Recovery Growth Programme (ERPG) initiative has been captured for the 2025 bill to the national assembly on code “ERPG 10208717”, “ERPG 10208718”, and “ERPG 10208719” the others are “ERPG 10208720” “ERGP12208701” and “ERGP 12208702.”
Each of the items was allocated N20,000,000 which cumulatively stands at N120,000,000. This figure represents 5% allocation compared to the figure which was used to deploy the solar studs lights on the highway.
They read, “ERPG 10208717, provision of solar street lights/electricity supply to highway, solar studs lights and traffic warning signals in North Central Zone N20,000,000
“ERPG 10208718, provision of solar street lights/electricity supply to highway, solar studs lights and traffic warning signals in North East Zone N20,000,000.
“ERPG 10208719, provision of solar street lights/electricity supply to highway, solar studs lights and traffic warning signals in North West Zone N20,000,000.
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It continued as the code “ERPG 10208720, provision of solar street lights/electricity supply to highway, solar studs lights and traffic warning signals in South Zone N20,000,000
ERGP12208701 provision of solar street lights/ electricity supply to. highways, solar studs lights and traffic warning signals in south east zone N20,000,000
ERGP 12208702 provision of solar street lights/ electricity supply to highways, solar studs lights and traffic and ERGP 12208702 provision of solar street lights/ electricity supply to highways, solar studs lights and traffic N20,0000.
A cursory perusal of the 2025 budget proposal revealed that the amount stands at 5% of the previous year appropriation for the same item, which cumulative was N1,595,500,000 (N1 Trillion Five hundred and Ninety Five Million, Five hundred Thousand Naira in 2024 while the cumulative in the 2025 proposal for the same regional solar project stands at One Hundred and Twenty Million Naira, only.
The measure which has been put in place to light up the highway was introduced in the 2024 appropriation Act, a budget the President told the National Assembly performed at 50%.
Nigerians from these zones are going to witness the completion of these solar projects that would prove night visibility for highway road users given the sharp drop in the project cost in the 2025 proposal.
The ministry has also proposed the sum of “N280,000,000” Two hundred and Eighty million Naira under “ERPG” code “10208752” for the “rehabilitation/Maintenance of 7 Nos Generators” for power availability as the ministry carries out critical bureaucratic measures to boost national infrastructure development.
The 2024 appropriation allocated N100,000,000, (One hundred million Naira) only. It was captured under ERPG 12207952.
The new amount represents 180% increase on the extant cost of maintenance of 7 number generators repairs while if it is approved by the national assembly it would represent 64% of the total investment on vehicle repair and maintenance in the two years of such investment in the renewed hope administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.